Jesse's Desperation
by H.G. Stewart
Summary: Jesse's a good ole boy who's about to revisit the good ole days... whether he wants to or not.
1. Chapter 1

_**It's early fall here in Hazzard County, and strange and unusual things is happenin'. Now before you go thinkin' I'm about to dive off into some tale about extra activity at the local haunted house or eerie mists over in the Hazzard cemetery, let me clear thing up. Strange and unusual in Hazzard means thing like havin' the mortgage in on time, havin' a good harvest, or havin' Rosco leave you alone for a day or two. For the Dukes, it just so happened all of those thangs was happenin', and if you know anything about that family, you know none of that stuff usually lasts. Kinda spooky, ain't it?**_

"Hey fellas!" Daisy sang out, turning from the pot of chili she was stirring on the stove as the men in her family entered the kitchen.

In response, three voices replied 'hey' in unison. The two owners of the younger, tired sounding voices pulled out chairs and sat at the table, rubbing fatigue from their faces while the owner of the optimistic elderly voice removed his hat and hung it on the hook before commencing to rummage through his front pocket.

"Well?" Daisy simply asked. There was no need to add more words to the question.

With a grin, Jesse turned and slapped a small handful of bills and some coins on the table. "Two hundred forty-eight dollars and thirty-nine cents!" He exclaimed in glee.

"Wow!" Daisy exclaimed, hugging her uncle." That's forty-eight more dollars than we expected to get!"

"Don't forget the thirty-nine cents." Luke replied as he stifled a yawn.

"Yeah." Bo nodded. "We earned every penny of that money and it's only fair to acknowledge all of it."

"And thirty-nine cents." Daisy replied after she cleared her throat, giving Bo a good natured hug and a giggle before she turned back to the pot of chili.

"I don't know why you boys is so wore out for, them little square hay bales wadn't all that heavy." Jesse announced as he pulled out a chair and joined them at the table.

"I don't suppose they's all that heavy if you's just movin' one or two of 'em." Luke replied, giving him a sidelong glance.

"Don't sugarcoat it, Luke. If you count the whole day that 's about all he did move. I reckon you and me moved 75, maybe 100 bales each." Bo said it in a teasing manner, but secretly he was somewhat upset. While he and his cousin had sweated through the delivery of the majority of the hay, which had included five trips in which they had loaded the hitch trailer, drove it to Mr. Lewis and unloaded the hay into his barn ('stack it nice and neat boys, ya hear?' he had instructed) Jesse had more or less spent the day in a rocking chair on the front porch, conversing with Mr. Lewis about everything from who had been sick, hospitalized or had died to next years crop forecast.

"I don't seem to recall ya complainin' while you's off on all them different races and I's tendin' to the hay by myself when it came time to plantin' and growin' it." Jesse reminded hm, taking his chair at the table and working with Bo and Luke to slide the crackers, cheddar cheese and sour cream aside for Daisy, who had turned from the stove, pot of chili in hand, and waited for a spot to be cleared in the middle of the table. "Besides, think how good them muscles you two built are gonna look for all them girls you're always chasin' around."

A humorous smile crept up on Bo's face as Daisy took her place at the table. "I have to admit you've got a point there, Uncle Jesse. Of course I don't need no help catchin' girls, but if stacking hay and building muscle with Luke helps his chances any..." He ended with a chuckle as Luke gave him a sidelong glance.

"Oh I don't think it's Luke than needs any luck." Daisy smiled, looking at her older cousin. "Seems things might be getting kind of serious between you and Mary Beth."

"I don't know if I would say serious." Luke responded, although the slight blush and grin that appeared on his face left little doubt to the fact that he was at least infatuated with her.

"You two have been seeing each other practically every other day for three months now." Jesse reminded him, as if he needed reminding. "By your record, I'd be safe to say that it is more than just a a passing fling."

"You can say that again." Bo replied with a chuckle.

"Where do you have room to talk?" Luke asked with an amused grin of his own. "If you were to ever last more than two weeks with a girl we'd consider you practically engaged."

"Engaged is a word you'll never hear in the same sentence with Bo Duke." Bo confirmed.

"Sure, sure." Daisy nodded. "One day, the right girl for you is going to come along, Bo, and she'll have you eating out of her hand."

"Speakin' of eating." Jesse added. "Why don't we go get washed up so we can do just that."

A few minutes after hands had been washed and the prayer had been said (with a special emphasis of thanks on the extra, unexpected windfall of forty-eight dollars and thirty-nine cents). The younger Dukes held their bowls to the chili pot as Jesse ladled out chili for each of them.

"Speaking of Mary Beth, Luke..." Jesse decided to ask after they had all received full bowls that were now adorned with the toppings of their choice "...when are you going to see her again?"

"This evening." Luke simply replied, sliding a sour cream laden spoonful of chili into his mouth.

"This evening? I thought you's wore out."

"Well I am tired." Luke confirmed, after having swallowed the bite. "But I didn't see her yesterday and, well, we sort of got into a routine...seeing each other at least every other day."

"I realize that but couldn't she come over here tonight? She lives so far away, clean over in the next county, and I need you boys up early in the morning. Cyrus Nelson got a couple of horses last week and decided he needs some hay too. You ain't gonna do much good movin' bales if I can't get ya ta quit countin' sheep first."

"I promise I'll be able to work, Uncle Jesse, but I do have to go over there this time. She met me in Hazzard the last two times and when we talked earlier today, she told me that her Pa's truck had broke down and she didn't have a way over here. I promise I'll only be gone for a couple of hours at most."

Jesse sighed. "Well see that it ain't no more than that. I realize the work I'm asking you to do right now is tiring, and I just don't like to see any of you kids any more wore out than you hafta be. Besides, if you keep sneakin' over the county line, it ain't gonna be long before Rosco catches you and you'll be over at the Hazzard jail on probation violation."

"I'll keep that in mind." Luke confirmed as they finished their dinner.

(The next morning...)

"Bo, wake up!"

Bo cringed as the overhead light invaded his eyes and he felt his blanket being flung off of his body. As far as he was concerned, five in the morning seemed to be a torturous time to leave your pillow behind, especially when one was not considered much of a morning person anyway.

When he finally managed slits in his eyelids he looked at the small analog clock and realized that it was 4:45, fifteen minutes before he was even supposed to hear the alarm going off for the first time. He then looked over and noticed that Luke's bed was already made. Good ole' early bird Luke, no matter how wore out he might be. Showoff.

"Get dressed, we're headin' to the jail." Jesse then ordered him.

It was only in that moment that Bo realized exactly who was calling him out of bed a full fifteen minutes early. "To the jail? Why? What's going on?"

"What's goin' on is that we don't have to figure out what to do with that extra forty dollars and thirty-nine cents because Luke's figured it out for us. Let's git over there and see how much of it and the other money we earned yesterday it's gonna take to post bail for him."

Bo stretched, groaned and got out of bed. Moments later, he and Daisy were next to their uncle as he drove his truck into town, stifling yawns and mostly remaining silent as they struggled on the journey to full consciousness.

"Dagnabbit!"

Having dozed off, that statement brought both of the cousins awake a few moments later after Jesse slammed the door of the truck.

"What's wrong, Uncle Jesse?" Daisy asked, rubbing her eyes.

"What's wrong is I've been beating on the door of the jail for five minutes!" Jesse replied as he started the truck and steered toward Boss Hogg's house. "That dang sheriff of ours, how dare he leave Luke in there over nite by himself? What if there had been a fire? Why when that district judge comes back to town I'm going to have a word with him!"

"Calm down Uncle Jesse, I don't know about Rosco and Boss, but I know Enos wouldn't leave him by himself. Maybe he was off where he couldn't hear you...or maybe he had dozed off."

"We'll get to the bottom of this in just a minute." Jesse replied, slamming on the brakes in front of Boss's house, causing Bo and Daisy to have to catch themselves. Moments after he had began to make his way up Boss's walkway, the cousins exited the truck to join him.

After a few minutes of beating on the door and doorbell ringing, a light came on from within the house and, as Daisy peared through the window, she could see Boss...wearing a red and white striped nightgown with a matching night cap, and Lulu, dressed in a housecoat with curlers in her hair, descending the stairs.

After hearing Boss mutter 'I'm coming I'm coming' from the other side, the trio finally heard the door unlock and watched as Boss peered out, first with a look of curiosity, surprise, then annoyance. "Jesse Duke! What in tarnation are you doing waking decent folks up at such an ungodly hour?"

"The only decent folks around here are the ones that ain't wearin' a nightcap!" Jesse exclaimed. "I come over here to ask what kind of a commissioner we have around here that allows his sheriff to leave the jail without a guard?"

Boss snarled. "Jesse I know you, for reasons I can't imagine, usually aren't happy with my work. But considerin' the hour, don't you think your questions can wait until the next county meeting or something? Goodnight!"

Boss started to shut the door but Jesse thrust his boot into the door frame, preventing him from doing so. He then leaned toward the door frame. "J.D., if you think I'm going to wait until some county meeting to find out why you though it was okay to leave my nephew locked up in the county jail overnight unsupervised..."

"Unsupervised? And just when was this supposed to have happened?"

"Just now. I went over to the jail and beat on the door for a solid five minutes and no one answered!"

"Well it just so happens there was a very good reason for that, Jesse." Boss snarled. "The reason than you didn't get an answer was because no one is over there...including that no account nephew of yours!"

**Y****_a know, I don't know who to feel more sorry for...the Dukes, on accounta they don't know where Luke is, or Lulu...on accounta she's gonna hafta start breakfast early. Any of ya'll ever try to turn a dozen decent omelets before 6 a.m.?_**


	2. Chapter 2

"You say Luke ain't over there?" Jesse had to ask again to confirm for himself.

"Not yet, but if you don't know where he is, then I'm sure he's off doing somethin' that will land him there before the end of the day." Boss smirked.

"J.D., that's no way to talk to Jesse." Lulu reprimanded her husband as she yawned.

"Well I'm sorry if he can't handle the truth, honey dumplin', but if a person don't want the truth, then a person shouldn't be on my doorstep for any reason at no 5:30 in the morning!" Boss announced, turning back to Jesse. "And when he is arrested, unless the three of you skedaddle off of my property, you're gonna be right next to him...on a charge of trespassing!"

After that Boss slammed the door, bringing the conversation to an unceremonious closing.

"Uncle Jesse, what exactly made you think that Luke had been arrested anyway?" Daisy asked as Jesse turned from the door.

"Well, he never did come home last night, bed never even got slept in. When I saw that when I come in to wake you kids up this morning, I only assumed, what with him bein' over the county line..." Jesse shrugged. "I wonder what else could have happened that would 'ave kept him from coming home last night?"

Each of the Dukes were lost in their own thoughts for a moment until a big grin appeared on Bo's face and he began to chuckle.

"You got a suggestion, Bo?" Jesse asked.

"Maybe, but I'm not exactly sure you want to hear it." Bo replied before he chuckled again, Daisy joining him this time.

Jesse thought for a minute and then began to smirk. "All I can say is that if I've been up half the night runnin' around lookin' for him, worryin' what's happened to him, and if it turned out he wadn't in no trouble..." Jesse trailed off. "Well, his backside just might have an appointment with a hickory switch." He announced before making his way back to the truck.

Seeing how his uncle was in no mood for joking, Bo decided not to take the time to point out that Jesse, for his own sake, had declared that roughly five o'clock in the morning could now be considered 'half the night' rather than 'early morning' as it was referred to when Jesse saw fit for a good reason to get out of bed before six. Instead, he remained silent as he joined Daisy and Jesse in the truck and slammed the door.

Soon they were heading to the Duke farm once again. After a few minutes of silence, Daisy looked at her uncle. His sullen, thoughtful expression told her that he was giving Bo's suggestion serious consideration, and while she certainly didn't like to see Jesse upset with any of them, she preferred Bo's theory to other things that could have happened, such as Luke having been involved in an accident. Still, with Luke missing, the possibility of an accident was something that would need to be followed up on.

"Listen Uncle Jesse, it will be daylight soon and then we'll all go to work to find out what's happened to Luke. "I'll call Mary Beth's place and see what time he left, then we can go from there."

Jesse nodded his agreement and a few minutes later, they arrived home. Jesse and Bo immediately began a task that had to be dealt with no matter what else was going on, feeding the livestock, Daisy followed up on her promise to call Mary Beth. Fortunately, being the head of a farming family himself, Mary Beth's father was a lot more receptive to an early morning call than Boss had been.

"Oh I'd say he left here around eight-thirty, nine o'clock Daisy." Mr. Wilbanks confirmed. "You mean to tell me he never showed up back home?"

"No sir." Daisy replied, her worry having increased. "When we woke up this morning we found out his bed had never been slept in."

"Well that is troublesome. Luke's a fine young man, don't seem the type that would just take off without tellin' somebody."

"You're right, Mr. Wilbanks." Daisy confirmed.

"I'm sorry ya'll are having to go though this Daisy. I'd help you get out and look for him right now, but as Luke might have told ya our truck is broke down. It's the only vehicle we have amongst us and I'm waitin' for a part to show up in the mail today. Soon as it comes in and I can get the truck goin' again, I'll be glad to see what I can find out. Might be awhile, though."

Daisy accepted his offer to look around as soon as he was able, thanked him, and hung up. She then went out to the barn to relay the news to Jesse and Bo.

Upon hearing the news, Jesse's sullen look instantly transformed to one of concern. As he thought, he inadvertently held Maudine's bucket of food in the air without having poured it. She reminded him by gently swinging her head around to bump it against his arm, bringing him back to the present. Jesse then shook his head as if to clear it, poured the food and set the bucket down.

"I guess it's gittin' light enough for me to go over there and start lookin' for him." Jesse said out loud, mostly to himself. He then began heading for his truck.

"Wait I'll go with you, Uncle Jesse." Bo announced.

"No." Jesse replied, turning to Bo. "No matter how Luke's found, if we don't get him back into Hazzard County, we're going to have to deal with his probation violation either way. That'll be enough without having to deal with yours too. Look for him, but stay in Hazzard County. I'm headin' over the line, and I'll let you know if I find out anything."

"You be careful!" Daisy called out as Jesse entered his truck and drove away.

"I'm takin' off too." Bo told her, heading for Daisy's jeep.

"Okay. I'm gonna stay here on the phone. I'll call the Tri-County hospital and see if he's there, then I'll call the police station over there where Mary Beth lives and see if they can tell me anything. I'll get Cooter out of bed, too. Maybe he can help you look around here in Hazzard."

"Okay, holler at me on the CB If you find anything out." Bo requested.

"You too." Daisy replied before she headed into the house and Bo headed down the road.

(A couple of hours later...)

Daisy had called everyone she intended to call. The Tri-County hospital had confirmed that Luke wasn't there and she had called the Hazzard County sheriff's office once again as well, just to confirm that they hadn't seen him. When the phone was answered by Boss Hogg, he verified once again that Luke had not been brought in, but that he would be more than happy to have his sheriff keep his eye out for that 'no account cousin of hers', as he could always count on him to contribute to keeping the bank account for deposit of county fines at a healthy level. Finally she had called the sheriff's office in Mary Beth's hometown. The phone call there was a bit cryptic, the deputy didn't answer her questions, instead he kept laughing and acted at times as if he were trying to flirt with Daisy, although she had no idea who he was. Finally, she came to the conclusion that the deputy had to be drunk and decided to hang up, hoping that Uncle Jesse had some luck on his search.

She, Bo and Cooter...neither of whom had come up with any leads themselves...now sat at the kitchen table, discussing the situation and trying to come up with new ideas on what could have happened to Luke when they heard Uncle Jesse pull up outside.

Bo got up from the table and opened the door for Jesse, who came inside. The look on his face brought immediate concern to everyone around the table.

"Uncle Jesse, what's wrong?" Daisy asked, jumping up and laying a hand on his shoulder. "Did you find out what happened to Luke?"

Jesse simply swallowed. "Yeah." He replied.

The response, and the way that it was delivered, was enough to make a knot form in Bo's throat. Still, his Uncle looked as if he might fall over and therefore, Bo guided him to his own chair and pushed him into a seated position. Bo, Daisy and Cooter, from Jesse's mannerism alone, automatically assumed the worst. Daisy stood with her hand over her mouth and Cooter sat with his head in his hand as they awaited Jesse to deliver the news on his discovery.

"Seems that Mary Beth's got herself a new sheriff in town." Jesse continued in a monotone voice, shaking his head. "I don't know exactly how it happened but it seems that somethin' happened down in Atlanta...a hearing in which it was concluded that there was no incriminating evidence and that therefore, they had no right for them to hold the old sheriff on any charges. So they let him go...they let him go and gave him his old job back. Him and all of his deputies...said he's elected and the job was rightfully his, he's back in office. All happened during the day yesterday, just all of a sudden. Even the citizens didn't get wind of it 'till it's all practically said and done."

"Uncle Jesse, you ain't makin' much sense. What's any of that stuff got to do with Luke?" Cooter asked.

"Luke's been arrested." Jesse answered in the same monotone voice.

"For what?" Cooter then asked.

"For bein' Luke." Jesse replied.

"That don't make any sense." Cooter replied.

"It makes perfect sense, Cooter." Bo replied, looking at his friend with anger as his new emotion. "Don't you remember? Mary Beth lives in Osage County. And if what Uncle Jesse says is true, that means Cassius Claiborne is back in office. And if Cassius Claiborne is back in office, then the number one thing on his to do list is going to be to stick it to me and Luke, because we're the one's who got him arrested in the first place!"

_**You know at this point, I think Jesse would be happier if Bo's theory would've panned out.**_


End file.
